Caladium plant named ‘Heart&#39;s Delight’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Caladium  plant named ‘Heart&#39;s Delight’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; intermediate to tall plant size; uniform plant habit; vigorous and dense growth habit; lance-type leaves with red-colored venation, greyed purple-colored interveinal areas and mottled light and dark green-colored borders; and good landscape performance.

Botanical designation: Caladium×hortulanum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HEART'S DELIGHT’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Caladium plant, botanically known as Caladium×hortulanum, commercially referred to as a lance leaf-type Caladium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Heart's Delight’.

The objective of the Inventor's breeding program is to create new Caladium plants that have uniform plant habit, exceptional container and garden performance and attractive foliage coloration.

The new Caladium plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in April, 2001 in Lake Placid, Fla. of Caladium×hortulanum ‘White Wing’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Caladium×hortulanum ‘Florida Red Ruffles’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,136, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Caladium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Lake Placid, Fla. on Jun. 15, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Caladium plant by ‘chipping’ the tubers (cutting the tuber into segments each segment containing an axillary bud and tuber cortical tissue) in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Lake Placid, Fla. since Apr. 15, 2003 has shown that the unique features of this new Caladium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Caladium have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Heart's Delight’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Heart's Delight’ as a new and distinct Caladium plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit; intermediate to tall plant         size.     -   2. Uniform plant habit.     -   3. Vigorous and dense growth habit.     -   4. Lance-type leaves with red-colored venation, greyed         purple-colored interveinal areas and mottled light and dark         green-colored borders.     -   5. Good landscape performance and tolerant to full sun         conditions.

Plants of the new Caladium differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘White Wing’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caladium are taller than plants of ‘White         Wing’.     -   2. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘White Wing’ differ in leaf         petiole color.     -   3. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘White Wing’ differ in leaf         coloration as leaves of plants of ‘White Wing’ have pink and         white-colored venation and interveinal areas with mottled light         and dark green-colored borders.

Plants of the new Caladium differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Florida Red Ruffles’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caladium are taller and more upright than         plants of ‘Florida Red Ruffles’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Caladium are not as undulate as         leaves of plants of ‘Florida Red Ruffles’.     -   3. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ differ         in leaf coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Florida Red Ruffles’         have dark red-colored venation and interveinal areas and         green-colored borders.

Plants of the new Caladium can be compared to plants of Caladium ‘Red Frills’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Avon Park, Fla., plants of the new Caladium differed primarily from plants of ‘Red Frills’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caladium were more upright than plants of         ‘Red Frills’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Caladium were broader than and         not as pointed as leaves of plants of ‘Red Frills’.     -   3. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘Red Frills’ differed in leaf         coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Red Frills’ had red-colored         venation and interveinal areas and dark green-colored borders.

Plants of the new Caladium can also be compared to plants of Caladium ‘Lance Whorton’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Avon Park, Fla., plants of the new Caladium differed primarily from plants of ‘Lance Whorton’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Caladium were more rounded than         leaves of plants of ‘Lance Whorton’.     -   2. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘Lance Whorton’ differed in         leaf coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Lance Whorton’ had rose         to red-colored venation with pink-colored interveinal blotches         and green-colored borders.

Plants of the new Caladium can also be compared to plants of Caladium ‘Rosemary’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,993. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Avon Park, Fla., plants of the new Caladium differed primarily from plants of ‘Rosemary’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caladium were more upright than plants of         ‘Rosemary’.     -   2. Plants of the new Caladium grew slower than plants of         ‘Rosemary’.     -   3. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘Rosemary’ differed in leaf         petiole color as plants of ‘Rosemary’ had solid-colored leaf         petioles.     -   4. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘Rosemary’ differed in leaf         coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Rosemary’ had rose         red-colored venation and interveinal areas and variably mottled         light and dark green-colored borders.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Caladium plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Caladium plant.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Heart's Delight’ grown in a 15-cm container in a shadehouse.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet is a comparison view of typical plants of ‘Heart's Delight’ grown in 15-cm containers, the plant on the right has had its tuber de-eyed and the plant on the left has not had its tuber de-eyed prior to planting.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a top perspective view of typical plants of ‘Heart's Delight’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical freshly-harvested tubers and roots of ‘Heart's Delight’.

The photograph at the top of the third sheet is a comparison view of typical potted plants of the male parent, ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ (lower left), ‘Heart's Delight’ (center) and the female parent, ‘White Wing’ (lower right).

The photograph at the bottom of the third sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Heart's Delight’.

The photograph at the top of the fourth sheet is a comparison view of typical potted plants of ‘Heart's Delight’ (left) and ‘Red Frills’ (right).

The photograph at the bottom of the fourth sheet is a side perspective view of a typical potted plant of ‘Lance Whorton’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15-cm containers in Avon Park, Fla. in a polypropylene-covered shadehouse (30% shade) and plants grown during the autumn in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Zolfo Springs, Fla. All plants were grown under environmental conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial shadehouse and outdoor nursery Caladium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 28° C. to 33° C. (shadehouse) or 29° C. to 35° C. (outdoor nursery), night temperatures ranged from about 22° C. to 25° C. (shadehouse) or 23° C. to 26° C. (outdoor nursery) and light levels were about 8,000 foot-candles (shadehouse) or 10,000 to 12,000 foot-candles (outdoor nursery). Plants grown in the shadehouse were seven weeks old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. Plants grown in the outdoor nursery were six months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Caladium×hortulanum ‘Heart's Delight’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Caladium×hortulanum ‘White Wing’,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Caladium×hortulanum ‘Florida Red             Ruffles’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,136. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By “chipping” the tubers.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven to ten days at             32° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two to three weeks at             24° C.         -   Tuber description (outdoor nursery-grown             plants).—Appearance: Multi-segmented; individual segments             ovate to round in shape. Height: About 3.8 cm. Diameter:             About 4.4 cm. Texture: Thick and starchy; somewhat brittle.             Color: Epidermis, freshly harvested, close to 199A;             epidermis, dried tuber, close to 200A; interior, close to 2C             to 2D; axillary buds, close to 155A. Root description:             Thick, fleshy contractile roots; color, close to 155A.             Rooting habit: Few lateral branches; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial; suitable as a potted plant             in containers 15-cm to 25-cm and suitable as a landscape             plant in shaded and full sun areas.         -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright and mounding plant habit;             intermediate to tall plant size; inverted triangle; vigorous             and dense growth habit; rapid growth rate; petioles and             leaves arise from one or more growing points on tubers;             petioles mostly upright and leaning outwardly with             development.         -   Plant height, from soil level to top of foliar plane,             shadehouse-grown potted plants.—About 22 cm to 26 cm.         -   Plant height, from soil level to top of inflorescences,             shadehouse-grown potted plants.—About 28 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread, shadehouse-grown potted             plants.—About 28 cm to 40 cm.         -   Number of clumps per plant, shadehouse-grown potted             plants.—About seven from de-eyed tubers.         -   Cataphylls, shadehouse-grown potted plants.—Length: About             6 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute to             cuspidate. Base: Sheathing the stem. Color, outer surface:             Close to 147C tinged with close to 182D and variably             streaked and stippled with close to N186C and 200A; with             development, color becoming closer to 200A. Color, inner             surface: Close to 155C; colors visible from the outer             surface. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Length, shadehouse-grown potted plants.—About 14 cm to 23             cm.         -   Width, shadehouse-grown potted plants (flattened).—About             10.5 cm to 17 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Sagittate to cordate.         -   Margin.—Entire; broad undulations.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous; glaucous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color, shadehouse-grown potted plants.—Developing leaves,             upper surface: Midrib: Close to 53A to 53B. Primary and             secondary venation: Close to 53A to 53B. Interveinal areas:             Close to 53B to 53C and close to 187A. Borders: Mottled             light and dark green, darker than 147A and 193A to 193B and             194B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Midrib: Close to             185B to 185C. Primary venation: Close to 185B to 185C.             Secondary venation: Close to 195B. Interveinal areas: Close             to 185C. Borders: Between 137C and 147B. Fully expanded             leaves, upper surface: Midrib: Close to 53A to 53B. Primary             venation: Close to 53A to 53B. Secondary venation: Close to             187A to 187B. Interveinal areas: Close to 53B to 53C and             187A to 187A. Borders: Mottled light and dark green, darker             than 147A and 193A to 193B; splotches, close to 193A to             193B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Midrib: Close to             185C. Primary and secondary venation: Close to 185C.             Interveinal areas: Close to 53C to 53D and close to 185C.             Borders: Mottled light and dark green, close to 147B and             194A.         -   Petiole.—Aspect: Mostly erect, outwardly leaning and curving             with development; flexible. Length, shadehouse-grown potted             plants: About 15 cm to 19 cm. Diameter, distal,             shadehouse-grown potted plants: About 3 mm. Diameter,             proximal, shadehouse-grown potted plants: About 6 mm. Color,             shadehouse-grown potted plants: Close to 147C, 182D or 147C             tinged with close to 182D and variably streaked or boldly             striped with close to N186C and 200A; below the leaf/petiole             junction, close to 182B to 182C tinged with close to 147C.             Wing length, shadehouse-grown potted plants: About 4.8 cm to             6 cm. Wing diameter, shadehouse-grown potted plants: About 7             mm to 8.5 mm. Wing color, shadehouse-grown potted plants,             outer surface: Close to 147C tinged with close to 182D and             variably streaked and stippled with close to N186C and 200A.             Wing color, shadehouse-grown potted plants, inner surface:             Colors visible from outer surface. -   Inflorescence description: Inflorescences observed on seven-week old     shadehouse-grown potted plants.     -   -   Inflorescence arrangement.—Upright hooded spathes             surrounding a columnar spadix borne on a tall upright scape;             spadix with sessile, simple female and male flowers             separated into two zones; female flowers arranged on the             lower one-third of the spadix; male flowers arranged on the             upper two-thirds of the spadix; sterile flowers develop at             junction of female and male flower zones; near this             junction, the spathe constricts and surrounds and encloses             the female flowers; spathe open and cupped around male             flowers.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season/longevity: Plants of the new             Caladium typically flower during the spring or early summer             in central Florida; flowers develop about seven weeks after             growth commences; inflorescences last about three days             before fading; inflorescences persistent.         -   Spathe.—Length: About 12.2 cm; upper open length, about 8.4             cm and lower closed length, about 3.8 cm. Width, distal:             About 3.9 cm. Width, proximal: About 2.8 cm. Width, at             constriction: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Acuminate.             Base: Tapering to the peduncle. Margin: Entire; slightly             reflexed. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, front surface: Upper two-thirds: Close to             158C to 158D; with development, color becoming closer to             199A. Lower one-third: Close to 147C to 147D; towards the             base, deeply colored with close to 187A; with development,             color becomes closer to 147B to 147C and variably flushed             with close to 184B to 184C. Color, rear surface: Upper             two-thirds: Close to 145D and 146D streaked with close to             147B to 147C. Lower one-third: Close to 147B to 147C and             variably flushed with close to 184B to 184C.         -   Spadix.—Length: About 8.4 cm. Length, male flower zone:             About 5.2 cm. Length, sterile flower zone: About 1.2 cm.             Length, female flower zone: About 2 cm. Diameter, male             flower zone: About 9.5 mm. Diameter, sterile flower zone:             About 6.5 mm. Diameter, female flower zone: About 1.1 cm.             Shape: Columnar. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Aspect:             Upright. Color, mature, male zone: Close to 158A to 158B.             Color, mature, sterile zone: Close to 158A to 158B. Color,             mature, female zone: Close to 159A and 9A. Male flowers:             Quantity per spadix: About 240. Shape: Obovate. Height:             About 3 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Pollen amount: Moderate.             Pollen color: Close to 159D. Female flowers: Quantity per             spadix: About 200. Shape: Obovate. Height: About 3 mm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Stigma color: Close to 159A and 9A.             Ovary color: Close to 155D.         -   Scape.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter: About 6.5 mm.             Strength: Sturdy; flexible. Aspect: Erect. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous; glaucous. Color: Close to 147C tinged with close             to 182D and variably streaked, striped and stippled with             close to N186C and 200B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Caladium. -   Disease & pest tolerance/resistance: Plants of the new Caladium have     been observed to have average tolerance to Xanthomonas Leaf Spot and     Pythium Root Rot. Plants of the new Caladium have not been observed     to have resistance to pests and other pathogens common to Caladium     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Caladium have been observed     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about 7° C. to about     40° C. and suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 8A to 11. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Caladium plant named ‘Heart's Delight’ as illustrated and described. 